Appreciation Round Up

Appreciations are the glue that holds a class together.

Talk about an easy, no prep, power activity! This is one that gets easier each time you do it, so you have to trust me:

• Have the entire class stand in a circle
• Dim the classroom lights
• Put on some soft, relaxing music
• Start appreciating!  You may open up appreciations to the outside world or limit them to the people in the room. I like to alternate between the two.
• Examples of appreciations:
• “I appreciate how Robert always walks through the door with a smile.”
• “I appreciate Zaina’s laugh.”
• “I appreciate how Juan helps me with Geometry.”
• “I appreciate Bethany’s mermaid hair.”
• “I appreciate Nicole for sharing her hot cheetos with me.”

As you can see, some are deeper than others but they all have the same warming effect. Be prepared for silence the first few times you do it. You, in fact, may be the only one who says any appreciations during the first couple of attempts - that is okay. I promise you it will be worth the wait! 

The bonus effect of this game is the more you do it, the more kids will be looking for things to appreciate on a day to day basis. It highlights the need to focus on the positive in our sometimes crazy world.